"If you use the 9000 hp figure, 2 T/F cars make more power than the entire field at Daytona (400 hp * 34)."
__________________

Just shows how much these engines have changed over the years. Early on of course all 'stock' blocks, heads etc. that were modified/massaged by the builders. Later on, new metals/alloys/techniques for cranks, blocks, rods, heads, cams, etc. Guys started casting aftermarket blocks, heads... based on the Hemi or B.B. Chevy's, etc. Different deck heights, bore spacing, stronger main cap areas, etc.

One can only IMAGINE the stresses being placed on those components. The engine is literally trying to destroy itself with each pass ...and sometimes they
do so...in awesome fashion!

If you look at the blocks, a lot of them look like Frankenstein. Apparently an amazing amount of damage can be repaired with no ill effects.

It just needs to hold together for 4 seconds...

Key word being "just."

The new blocks are forged, not cast, and not based upon any production design. They are actually tough enough to have a motor "blow" and fully contain the pieces. They can break a rod, or even a crank inside these new blocks and still likely run it in the next round.

I remember seeing the old Keith Black cast aluminum (based on the 426 Hemi) blocks, or the Donovan cast aluminum 417 (based on the old 392 Hemi) blocks with an astounding number of visible welds on the outside. They kept blowing big pieces right out of them and simply welding them back together.

They get "new" rods and pistons for every pass these days. They typically get about eight passes on these components, but every weekend they only get run once, then put into the "inspection" pile, with the number of total passes carefully tracked. As long as they keep passing inspection back at the home shop, they keep running them. The big money teams give them out as souveniers after about eight runs, the teams that are scraping by might try to get up to twelve passes on a set. The crank will generally run all year unless they break it; it does run all weekend without inspection.

Weird, seemingly innocuous little things make a big difference in these cars. The torque pattern used on the head bolts, for example. Changing the torque pattern and/or values can raise or lower the power output by up to 1,000 horsepower. Yes, just from torquing the head bolts differently. That points to just how much these motors deflect under power. It took the teams years to fugure this one out; why would the clutch and tires "hold" a certain amount of power (derived through ignition advance and fuel percentage) one round, then go up in smoke the next? Because the guy torquing the heads was doing it willy-nilly, and giving the clutch set-up man a surprise bonus of hundreds of horsepower he didn't have in the last round. Made it impossible to use data from the previous round to set clutch slip for the next.

That's just one example. There really is a lot more going on in these cars than most people realize, both mechanically, and as far as driving one. It's kind of a seemingly weird mix, but my two favorite motorsports are top fuel and F1. Both get much more interesting the more you learn about the technology involved.

**UPDATE**

One year later.

I went last night.

Unreal.
Earplugs- check
Full through-body vibration- check

I cost me $50 to get in which was pretty steep considering I got there at 7:30pm.
They ran until 10:00pm due to some blown engines/oil downs.

Thye have these strange riding oil removers.
They spray chemical out the front, machine underneath ( brushes/vacuum ? ) and flames out the back aimmed at the track surface. 'Zambozi on Steroids' :D

It was a neat experience. I don't plan to go again.

Road racing is my thing.

KT

Very Cool! Everyone should experience it at least once, even if it's not your cup o' tea. The sound percussion is almost enough to make your heart go out of rhythm. ;)

The garage area is great too. Most teams are outside working on the cars between rounds and you are just a couple feet away from these beasts. They will fire them up in the pit area too, so always have your ear protection handy.

I wanted to listen *once* with an earplug, just to see...

Bad idea. My ears were ringing.

It's probably the kind of sound that would kill you if you were subjected to it for very long.

There were people everywhere open-eared like it was no big deal. HUH?!?


KT

I had a friend that was into NHRA and I used to go to Pomona with him almost every year, have not been in a long while.

Like everyone said it is something you should see at least once in your life.

Went to my first and last NASCAR race two years ago, interesting but not my cup of tea.

I would consider going to a NHRA race again.

Don't forget Pro-Stock....

500cu inch, Carbuator no blower, gas no nitro

Now launch and shift five times in 6.6 secs!

Back in the 1970's, Grady Clay told me he used to hang out at drag strips..."Because those guys really know engines"...:)

I still vote these guys as the real nut-jobs:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N9vM8IV30JM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N9vM8IV30JM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Sorta like the volume at a Ted Nugent or Grateful Dead Concert. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...eys/gitaar.gif
Actually, those dragsters put the concert in the hospital zone category!

FWIW, my old Power Wagon has Keith Black pistons...Not just any hypereutetic piston mind you...but Keith Black hypereutectic pistons! For you guys who think Mahle makes the best? HOOT!

This has been posted before, and some people including our host, Wayne, has disagreed with portions of it, but it's still mostly true.

One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes
more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.

* Under full throttle, a Top Fuel dragster engine consumes
18½ gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747
consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy
being produced.

* A stock Dodge 426 Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough
power to drive the dragster's supercharger.

* With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger
on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a
near-solid form before ignition.
Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full
throttle.

* At the stoichiometric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro
methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.

* Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame
seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen,
dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing
exhaust gases.

* Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is
the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

* Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass.
After 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus
the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine
can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.

* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned
nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes
with sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block
in pieces or split the block in half.

* In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must
accelerate at an average of over 4G's. In order to reach
200 mph well before half-track, the launch acceleration
approaches 8G's.

* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have
completed reading this sentence.

* Top Fuel Engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from
light to light!

* Including the burnout the engine must only survive 900
revolutions under load.

* The red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.

* The Bottom Line; Assuming all the equipment is paid off,
the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP,
each run costs an estimated $1,000.00 per second. The
current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441
seconds for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher).
The top speed record is 333.00 mph (533 km/h) as measured
over the last 66' of the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).

Putting all of this into perspective:

You are riding the average $250,000 Honda MotoGP bike. Over
a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready
to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have
the advantage of a flying start. You run the RC211V hard up
through the gears and blast across the starting line and
past the dragster at an honest 200 mph (293 ft/sec). The
'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The
dragster launches and starts after you.
You keep your wrist cranked hard, but you hear an incredibly
brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds
the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the
finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed
him.

Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had
spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted
you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot
long race course.

I liked reading that.

Thanks.


KT

nothing quite like it. Especially during testing in the pits when they change from alky to nitromethanol..

Nasty.

"They will burn almost 8 gallons of 85% nitro / 15% methanol in one burnout and quarter mile run" Jeff

" Under full throttle, a Top Fuel dragster engine consumes
18½ gallons of nitro methane per second" Hugh's quote

I'm leaning towards the first one being correct.

Regardless, it's amazing.
Les

Anybody know when it will be broadcast from Sonoma? ( today's racing )


KT

Found it! 4:00 pm PST on ESPN.



KT